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The Best Decisions of My Life (So Far)

Today instead of reviewing a book or discussing the latest literary news, I wanted to take a moment to talk about what I’ve learned during the first quarter-century of my life. These past few weeks have been an emotional roller-coaster, and there’s nothing like examining your past when major changes await you in the future.

If someone asked you what were the best decisions that you’ve ever made, what would you say? Here are the first things that come to my mind:

1. Starting this blog. Okay, this one was pretty easy. Next month will mark three years since I’ve started Book Club Babe, and it’s been such a blast. I may not have a ton of followers or make any money, but blogging has been so rewarding because it keeps me writing and it motivates me to read even more.

But the best part is being part of a community that loves literature as much as I do. Blogging has taken a solitary activity and made it social, as now I can share my reviews and get recommendations from all of you! So awesome!

2. Getting in the college fast-lane. I knew that I wanted to write since I was in middle school, and fortunately I was pretty good at it. I joined debate and journalism in high school to hone my skills, and when I attended undergrad, declaring a Literature major was a no-brainer.

Instead of playing around and wasting time switching majors, I put my nose to the grindstone and graduated a year early with top honors. And since most of my peers were still in school, I figured why not get another degree?

I had my Master’s by the time I was 22 and eliminated my student loans a few months ago. Working extremely hard in school has allowed me to jump-start my career, and now I’m lightyears ahead of most Millennials who prioritized partying over success. Do I miss not having more fun? Sure, but living a typical college experience just means you’re…typical. Now I’m having more fun than ever, because I can afford to travel and treat myself!

3. Getting LASIK. I find it amusing that I chose to include glasses in my blog’s logo, but anyone who knew me growing up knew that I had worn glasses since I was eight. I tried contacts to no avail, and finally took the plunge to get LASIK two years ago.

It was a risk having the surgery so young, but there were no complications. A couple Valium and 20 minutes later, it was over. I’m not going to say that it was completely pain-free, and I’ll spare you the gritty details, but one of the best moments of my life was waking up the next morning with next-to-perfect vision. Absolutely amazing! If you’ve been thinking about LASIK, I’m urging you to not put it off any longer. Odds are, you won’t regret it!

4. Diving into Big Data. After what seemed like hundreds of job applications, in August 2012, one woman offered me a marketing job in the Bay Area without even meeting me first. I’m not sure who was crazier, but I accepted and left my hometown to what I know now were bigger and better things.

I knew nothing about supercomputers, but absorbed everything I could and worked tenaciously to overcome my weaknesses. My manager quickly became my closest mentor, stretching my skills from social media and content creation to include event planning, campaign management, and so much more. The tech industry is unlike any other, and I was lucky enough to have the best team to work with…

This leads me to my final point. I have learned more at my job than my entire college experience, which is why it’s bittersweet to announce that I’m…

5. Taking on the next adventure! Starting next week, I will be working at a startup in the heart of San Francisco, combining traditional technologies with up and coming innovations. As much as I will miss my colleagues, this is an exciting career opportunity where I hope that I can make a big impact. I’m so thankful for everyone’s support, and I’m looking forward to the next best decisions of my life!

3 thoughts on “The Best Decisions of My Life (So Far)”

i am frightfully appreciate to have you created this amazing blog site, otherwise I won’t be able to get to read so many interesting and original book/movie reviews any way, wish you dearly to keep this awesome oasis going on! also best wishes to your new career!